Capanna Punta Penia

The place

Alpine refuge at 3340 m at the summit of the Marmolada group, commune of Canazei (Trentino), straddling Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto (Italy), right below the Punta Penia, the highest point of the Dolomites at 3343 m. It is the highest refuge in the Dolomites. Built in wood clad with aluminium by a mountain guide from Alba di Canazei in the late 1940s, reusing the remains of an Austro-Hungarian position from World War I. Unheated, closer to a bivouac than a classic refuge: small kitchen, dining room and beds. Secured with steel cables, directly overlooking the abyss of the south face of the Marmolada (about 800 m). Open from May to early November. Access requires alpine preparation and equipment: from the north via the glacier, via the ferrata from the west, or by climbing the south face. Owner: Aurelio Soraruf; wardens: Andrea and Tobia.